The Problem with Alcohol
0 comments | Posted by Steven Layson on 27 Aug 2011 in From Steve's Study ::
Australians love a drink. No Aussie, BBQ, dinner party, or social occasion would be complete, it seems, without copious quantities of “lubricating fluid”.
However, we are also becoming more and more aware of the possible detrimental effects of the abuse of alcohol. Teenage binge drinking, alcohol fueled violence, road accidents, family breakdown & health problems highlight how dangerous and harmful this seemingly harmless habit can be.
I came across a letter this week that had been sent into an American Newspaper by a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, which highlights some of the “unfulfilled promises” that alcohol can make:
“We drank for happiness and became unhappy.
We drank for joy and became miserable.
We drank for sociability and became argumentative.
We drank for sophistication and became obnoxious.
We drank for friendship and made enemies.
We drank for sleep and awakened without rest.
We drank for strength and felt weak.
We drank “medicinally” and acquired health problems.
We drank for relaxation and got the shakes.
We drank for bravery and became afraid.
We drank for confidence and became doubtful.
We drank to make conversation easier and slurred our speech.
We drank to feel heavenly and ended up feeling like hell.
We drank to forget and were forever haunted.
We drank for freedom and became slaves.
We drank to erase problems and saw them multiply.
We drank to cope with life and invited death.”
There is no biblical command not to drink alcohol, but Christians do need to be very careful in the way they imbibe. Drinking alcohol can bring pleasure, but can also bring untold harm if we do not do it wisely. We should be careful not to blindly take on board the world’s attitudes, but rather drink only in ways that are honouring to God, good for our bodies and are loving towards others.
« Wise Kings & Their Kingdoms A Breath of Fresh Air»
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